Business

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of mentors available to support small businesses in (a) Sefton and (b) nationally.

Mark Prisk: There are 70 mentoring organisations now accessible via:
	www.mentorsme.co.uk
	and through them 11,000 mentors. This initiative is led by business, not by Government, and the British Bankers' Association (BBA) is co-ordinating and sponsoring the work. The website does not contain data on mentors at regional or constituency level but the search facility on the website allows visitors to easily find a mentoring organisation in their locality.
	Our aim is to develop a network of over 40,000 business mentors and the BBA is currently screening applications from other mentoring organisations who wish to be listed on the portal.
	The banks themselves are also contributing practical mentoring support alongside the other contributing organisations: the banks have made a commitment to have 1,000 bank mentors trained and deployed in not-for-profit mentoring organisations by the end of June 2012.
	Additionally, new grant funding of £1.2 million was announced by BIS on 16 November to recruit and train 10,000 volunteer business mentors from the small business community via the Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative (SFEDI). This is on top of funding of £700,000 for 5,000 mentors announced by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), as part of the package of support for female entrepreneurs on 4 November.
	SFEDI (the sector skills body for enterprise) is working with a range of trade associations and business representative bodies who will be recruiting from among local business communities and the volunteer business mentors will be accessible through
	www.mentorsme.co.uk

Business: Entry Clearances

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 10 November 2011, Official Report, columns 459-60W, on business: entry clearances, if he will place in the Library the representations he has received on forward planning and Tier 2 visas.

Mark Prisk: I will place representations the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and the Minister for Trade and Investment, my noble Friend Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, have received on forward planning and Tier 2 visas in the Libraries of the House. The company names will be redacted to protect commercial confidentiality.

Further Education: English Language

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions Ministers in his Department have had with the Association of Colleges on fee remission for English for speakers of other languages courses; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and I meet regularly with representatives from the further education sector to discuss a wide range of issues.
	Learners in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance or employment support allowance (in the work-related activity group) are eligible for full fee remission where English language skills have been identified as a barrier to entering employment. Further education colleges and training organisations also have local discretion to provide fully subsidised courses for people on a wider range of benefits where the training is to help them enter employment. The Government continue to contribute 50% towards English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course fees for people who are settled here and not eligible for full Government funding. We will no longer fund ESOL courses delivered in the workplace.
	Further education (FE) colleges and training providers are responsible for meeting the needs of their local community, and increased freedoms and flexibilities that we have introduced will help them respond and determine within their funding where this is prioritised.

Higher Education

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he has plans for further changes to higher education policy in 2013-14.

David Willetts: We set out our plans for higher education in the White Paper “Students at the Heart of the System” Cm 8122. We have consulted on the White Paper proposals. We have also asked the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to consult on future funding arrangements, including liberalising student number controls, in their forthcoming consultation on teaching funding for 2013/14 and beyond. We will respond to the White Paper consultation in the new year and a Higher Education Bill will be introduced in 2012, parliamentary time permitting.

Higher Education

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average cost was of providing a level 3 or higher qualification for adults aged 24 years old and over in the latest period for which figures are available.

John Hayes: Based on information provided by the Skills Funding Agency, the average in year unit cost for level 3 and higher qualifications for adults aged 25 and over for the 2009/10 academic year is estimated as £1,350 for apprenticeship provision and £2,100 for classroom based provision.
	The total public funding for individual qualifications will depend on the length of the course, the subject area and whether the individual qualifies for full fee remission or the costs are shared between Government, the individual or the employer.
	From the 2013/14 academic year we are introducing a new system of further education (FE) loans, which shifts more of the responsibility for investing in learning to individuals, and maintains support for adults to learn at advanced and higher levels. Sharing the same progressive features as higher education (HE) student finance—no upfront cost to the learner, no repayments until earnings reach £21,000, and outstanding amounts written off after 30 years—FE loans will use much of the delivery infrastructure for HE student loans creating a more coherent offer to learners. The introduction of loans is an important step, and we will be working closely with colleges, training providers and stakeholders as we implement them for the 2013/14 academic year.

Higher Education: Fees and Charges

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many institutions have set tuition fees below £9,000.

David Willetts: Of the 149 institutions that have submitted access agreements to Office For Fair Access (OFFA), there are 143 with estimated average tuition fees less than £9,000 (96%) after fee waivers.

Manufacturing Industries: Training

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding his Department has provided to colleges and training providers to train people for jobs in the manufacturing industry in 2011-12.

John Hayes: This Government recognise the importance of manufacturing and their key role in rebalancing the economy. Working with industry, this Government are taking action aimed at increasing growth in manufacturing output in the UK by encouraging higher levels of innovation, exports, business investment and technical skills, as well as cutting excessive red tape.
	As set out in this Department's Skills Investment Statement 2011 to 2014 (1 December 2011), overall investment in adult further education (FE) and skills will be £3.8 billion in the 2012-13 financial year.
	The Skills Funding Agency has responsibility for the funding of post-19 FE and skills training and allocates budgets to individual FE colleges and training organisations, it does not allocate funding at the qualification level. From the 2011/12 academic year we introduced a single adult skills budget. This will provide FE colleges and training organisations with the flexibility to offer the range and balance of programmes, from basic skills to higher-level skills, in the mode of delivery that will best meet the needs of learners, employers and communities in line with demand.

Public Expenditure: Birmingham

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding his Department has allocated to Birmingham in (a) ring-fenced and (b) non ring-fenced funding grants for each of the next three years.

Mark Prisk: The Birmingham region, through the local enterprise partnership, can access a variety of funding streams from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills as set out in my response to the hon. Member on 23 November 2011, Official Report ,column 452W.
	To date the only funding this Department has allocated to the partnership is through the Capacity and Start up which is ring-fenced.

Departmental Audit

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria (a) his Department and (b) its public bodies use when deciding whether and when to hold an internal audit; and if he will make a statement.

Chloe Smith: Internal Audit plans for the Treasury and its executive agencies are drawn up annually and reviewed as required through the year. They are based on a review of management risk assessments, discussions with senior managers, previous Internal Audit work and planned changes and developments, and also linked with the organisations' objectives. The plans are established in consultation with, and subject to approval by, the Accounting Officers, boards and the Audit Committees as appropriate.

Economic Growth

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the levels of economic growth in (a) the UK and (b) other G7 countries over the last 12 months.

Chloe Smith: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is responsible for producing independent economic and fiscal forecasts. Its “Economic and fiscal outlook” published 29 November 2011 state that
	“World activity has slowed since our March forecast, especially in advanced economies. This reflects: the deepening of the euro area sovereign debt crisis and related weakness in the financial sector; the supply chain effects from the Japanese earthquake; sluggish performance in the US labour and housing markets; and higher oil prices, partly related to unrest in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.”
	The UK cannot be immune from these series of shocks, which have weakened economic growth in the UK and other G7 countries over the last 12 months.

National Income

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of levels of domestic consumption on gross domestic product over the last 12 months.

Chloe Smith: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published gross domestic product (GDP) by expenditure up to the third quarter of 2011. The level of household consumption is 1.4% lower than the same quarter last year and the level of Government consumption is 2.9% higher. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) published its “Economic and fiscal outlook” on 29 November 2011, setting out its forecasts for 2011. GDP growth in 2011 is forecast to be 0.9% with household consumption forecast to fall by 1.1% in 2011, contributing -0.7 percentage to growth in GDP overall. Government consumption is forecast to rise by 2.2% in 2011, contributing 0.3 percentage points to GDP growth.

Poverty: Rural Areas

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the implications of the findings of the Hill Report for his policy on rural poverty.

Gregory Barker: I have been asked to reply.
	Professor Hills published his Interim Report in October 2011, and he is due to present his final report to Government in early 2012. My officials and I will carry out an assessment of his recommendations and their implications at that time.

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether factors other than the application of the Barnett formula were used to determine the block grant to Northern Ireland announced in October 2010.

Danny Alexander: In addition to Barnett consequential, the Northern Ireland Executive received an £25 million to set up an access fund to ensure a fair and just resolution of issues arising from the collapse of the Presbyterian Mutual Society. They were also granted an additional £175 million of borrowing in order to create headroom within NIE's budget for a loan to the PMS administrator to facilitate an orderly disposal of assets.

Public Sector: Pensions

Bill Esterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on the level of pensions of the uprating of public sector pensions for (a) current and (b) future pensioners.

Danny Alexander: Public service pensions in payment (or deferral) are uprated annually according to consumer prices index, through the statutory link to the indexation of the state second pension.
	On 6 December 2011, Official Report, columns 163-65, the Minister for Pensions my hon. Friend the Member for Thornbury and Yate (Steve Webb), confirmed in an oral statement to Parliament that the state second pension will be increased by 5.2% in April 2012. The level of public service pensions for current pensioners will therefore also increase by 5.2%.

Revenue and Customs: Correspondence

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to improve the performance of HM Revenue and Customs in dealing with post at the National Insurance Contribution and Employer Office within the target timescale of 80 per cent. being dealt with within 15 days.

David Gauke: HMRC National Insurance Contributions and Employer Office redeployed staff from other work to bring customer correspondence to under the 15 days target. Currently 88% of post is less than 15 days old.

Taxation: Energy

Alun Cairns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed carbon floor price on energy intensive industries which depend on combined heat and power plants.

Chloe Smith: An assessment of the impacts of the carbon price floor is given in HMRC's Tax Information and Impact Note published alongside the Budget. This is available online at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2011/tiin6111.pdf
	The Department for Energy and Climate Change has carried out an assessment of the impact of all Government policies on energy bills for energy-intensive industries, published on 23 November, available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/aes/impacts/impacts.aspx
	The Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), announced at the autumn statement on 29 November 2011, Official Report, columns 799-810, a package of measures to reduce the transitional impacts of energy and climate change policies on the costs of electricity for the most energy-intensive industries. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will assess the impacts of the package as the details are developed.

Contraceptives

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidance his Department plans to provide to local authorities on how to undertake a needs assessment of contraceptive services in their locality to ensure choice and open access to these services; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  with reference to his Department's proposed reforms to the delivery of public health services, what support and guidance his Department provides to local authorities on commissioning comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  with reference to his Department's proposed reforms to the delivery of public health services, what sexual and reproductive health services local authorities will be required to commission to ensure choice and open access to such services; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  whether his Department expects Public Health England to produce guidance for (a) clinical commissioning groups and (b) local authorities on the commissioning of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: It is the Government's intention that, subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill, there should be a small number of activities that local authorities will be mandated to commission. These activities will include appropriate provision of confidential, open-access sexual health services. However, it is not the intention to be overly prescriptive regarding the detail of how these services should be commissioned, or to constrain local authorities' ability to design services which meet the needs of local people.
	The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and the Health and Wellbeing Strategies prepared by each local area will help to inform the commissioning of sexual health services, including contraceptive services, from April 2013. Clinical and service standards developed by bodies such as the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence, the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health and the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV are available to current service commissioners to help to inform commissioning decisions, and these standards will be available to future service commissioners as well.
	The Department will also work with colleagues both in the national health service and in local authorities to determine their need for guidance on commissioning specific public health services such as sexual health services.

Abortion: Young People

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many girls of school age who had abortions in the latest period for which figures are available has previously been on an at risk register.

Anne Milton: Data on the number of girls of school age having abortions that have previously been on the at risk register are not collected by the Department.

Antenatal Care: Wirral

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what improvements have been made in the antenatal care offered to families by antenatal contact at 28 to 36 weeks in the Wirral following his agreement on the early implementer site Piloting of Pathways.

Anne Milton: The Wirral is one of 26 early implementer sites announced in March 2011 to demonstrate improvement and success in delivery of the new Health Visiting Service Vision and Family Offer as detailed in the “Health Visiting Implementation Plan: A Call to Action 2011-2015”. Pilot projects under way are looking at improving outcomes for children and families and ensuring greater awareness of, and alignment of local early years services.
	We are advised that in the Wirral, the results and lessons learned from the projects will be captured as case studies and shared within the region, as well as nationally to ensure the spread of key learning and improvement practice. This will be achieved through monthly knowledge sharing forums and specifically through an end of year event in March 2012.

Epilepsy: Health Services

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what variation there is in the funding of Vagus Nerve Stimulation for refractory epilepsy by (a) primary care trusts and (b) specialised commissioning groups.

Paul Burstow: We have made no analysis of any variation in funding for vagus nerve stimulation for refractory epilepsy by primary care trusts and specialised commissioning groups.

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome

James Wharton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the number of children with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Anne Milton: The actual United Kingdom prevalence for either Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is unknown and there is no mechanism currently for national data collection.

Four Seasons Health Care

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  with reference to comments made by the Minister for Care Services on Radio 4's Today Programme, 6 December 2011, on Southern Cross, what assurance process his Department has undertaken on the financial viability of Four Seasons Healthcare; and if he will publish the results of any such assurance process;
	(2)  what assurance his Department has received that Four Seasons Healthcare will seek to restructure its finances following its takeover of Southern Cross care homes; and when any such restructuring will be completed;
	(3)  how many times (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department have met senior management of Four Seasons Healthcare in the last 12 months.

Paul Burstow: The chairman and chief executive of Four Seasons Healthcare have met senior officials from the Department to explain the company's financial position twice in the last 12 months. We will continue to keep in close touch with the company. There have been no meetings between the company and Ministers to discuss this issue.
	The company has explained its trading position and its plans to deal with its debt restructuring. It has stressed that its business model is very different to that of Southern Cross Healthcare. Unlike Southern Cross, it owns the majority of its homes. It also reports that it is operating profitably and is better able to cope with fluctuations in the market.
	Four Seasons' historic debt matures in September 2012. The process to restructure the debt has begun and will be completed before the maturity date. The information provided by the company is commercially sensitive and it would not be appropriate to publish it.
	At present, the Department does not have concerns about Four Seasons’ financial position. However, we are keeping the situation under review.
	It is for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to register providers of adult social care services, including care homes. The registration process for care providers with the CQC requires that they declare their organisation takes all reasonable steps to remain financially viable. Where the CQC has concerns regarding a declaration, it will ask further questions to determine whether the provider is compliant with Regulation 13 of the CQC (Registration) Regulations 2009, which requires providers to ensure the “financial viability” of their enterprise, before deciding whether to register them.

Health Services: Cardiovascular System

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether NICE has any plans to publish a quality standard on the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Simon Burns: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has already published Quality Standards on chronic heart failure and stroke, and is developing further Quality Standards on stable angina, acute coronary syndromes (including myocardial infarction), and thromboembolic diseases (including pulmonary embolism).
	Further information on the Quality Standards NICE are developing can be found at:
	www.nice.org.uk/aboutnice/qualitystandards/qualitystandards.jsp
	NICE, jointly with the National Quality Board, recently ran an engagement exercise on the development of a library of Quality Standard topics for the national health service. The list of proposed Quality Standard topics published as part of this exercise included the following cardiovascular topics:
	acute heart failure;
	atrial fibrillation;
	hypertension;
	secondary care management of malignant hypertension;
	lipid modification;
	secondary prevention of myocardial infarction and cardiac rehabilitation;
	familial hypercholesterolemia;
	risk assessment of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors;
	peripheral vascular disease;
	varicose veins; and
	abdominal aortic aneurysm.
	The engagement exercise closed on 14 October 2011.
	Further information on the engagement exercise can be found at:
	www.nice.org.uk/getinvolved/currentniceconsultations/NQBEngagement.jsp
	An announcement on next steps will be made once the responses have been analysed.

Malcolm Lader

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether Professor Malcolm Lader holds any official appointment within his Department or any of its Executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies; and whether he has contributed to its policy review on addiction to medicines.

Anne Milton: Professor Malcolm Lader is one of the experts and stakeholders whose advice has been sought in the Department's work on addiction to medicines. Professor Malcolm Lader does not hold any official appointment within the Department, its Executive agencies or non-departmental public bodies.

Neurology: Surgery

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of interim funding decisions for neurosurgery made by specialised commissioning groups on (a) patients with rare clinical need and (b) their carers and families.

Anne Milton: During 2012-13, all money and accountability for the decision making processes for access to specialised services, will still be under the control of primary care trusts (PCTs).
	Commitments have been given to PCTs that no policy convergence will take place in 2012-13 without their knowledge and explicit support. In the case of access to neurosurgery, this will still be governed by local policy although work is being undertaken to identify differences in access to services.
	A clinical, financial and public patient experience and engagement process is being developed to support policy convergence for 2013-14 onwards.

NHS: Negligence

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether the NHS Litigation Authority is operating a moratorium on settling large claims; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  in how many cases the NHS Litigation Authority has admitted liability but voluntary interim payments have not been paid; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many cases received by the NHS Litigation Authority have been resolved in terms of (a) liability and (b) damages and fees in each month since May 2010.

Simon Burns: The NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) does not have a moratorium on settling large claims. The NHSLA is committed to appropriately resolving all claims as speedily as possible.
	The NHSLA does not have data on the number of cases where they admitted liability but voluntary interim payments have not been paid, because the NHSLA does not have a record of all instances where voluntary interim payments were requested.
	The number of clinical negligence claims settled by the NHSLA by month since May 2010 is shown in the following table. The table shows separately the number of settlements with no damages or costs and the number of settlements with damages and/or costs.
	
		
			  Number of claims settled 
			 Month of settlement Nil damages and costs With damages and/or costs Total 
			 May 2010 119 414 533 
			 June 2010 102 477 579 
			 July 2010 99 .515 614 
			 August 2010 99 373 472 
			 September 2010 81 510 591 
			 October 2010 176 663 839 
			 November 2010 182 640 822 
			 December 2010 113 470 583 
		
	
	
		
			 January 2011 117 520 637 
			 February 2011 128 549 677 
			 March 2011 176 628 804 
			 April 2011 73 437 510 
			 May 2011 107 609 716 
			 June 2011 121 575 696 
			 July 2011 122 604 726 
			 August 2011 146 722 868 
			 September 2011 149 599 748 
			 October 2011 269 589 858 
			 November 2011 143 546 689 
			 Note: The data covers the period up to 30 November 2011. Source: NHS Litigation Authority, 2011

Palliative Care

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients and their relatives are informed by clinicians when hospital trusts are placed on the Liverpool care pathway.

Paul Burstow: The Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) was developed by the Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute in Liverpool as an approach to support the delivery of good care in the last days of life. The Department of Health is not responsible for the LCP, but recommends it as good practice.
	Before putting someone on the LCP, senior doctors and nurses involved in the patient's care should agree that death is very likely to be imminent and that being placed on the pathway will be beneficial to the patient. The LCP documentation is clear that a decision to use the pathway should always involve the patient and/or family members.
	The National Care of the Dying Audit—Hospitals, based on the standards of care within the LCP and run by the Marie Curie Palliative Care Institute in collaboration with the Royal College of Physicians, assesses the use of the LCP and the quality of care provision. This audit is one of those that must be reported in providers' Quality Accounts.
	The report of the third round of the audit notes that in 94% of documented cases discussions explaining the use of the LCP were held with relatives or carers. However, as part of the report's recommendations, it stresses that the decision that a patient is dying and in the last hours or days of life should be discussed with patients, where appropriate, and always with relatives or carers.

Climate Research Unit

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Climate Research Unit.

Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne), has not had any discussions with representatives of the Climatic Research Unit at the university of East Anglia.
	All DECC ministerial meetings are published on a quarterly basis on the Department's website at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/registers.aspx

Carbon Sequestration

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with Scottish and Southern Energy on the timetable for the development of carbon capture and storage at Peterhead.

Charles Hendry: Ministers hold regular meetings with industry to discuss a range of energy and climate change issues. In addition, my officials hold regular discussions on specific issues relating to the development of Carbon Capture and Storage. Officials from the Office of Carbon Capture and Storage met with representatives of a number of CCS project developers recently, including SSE, to discuss the development of the UK CCS Programme and will be holding an Industry Day on 16 December to provide further information on the selection process. We will not be making decisions about which projects to take forward before this process has been completed.

Departmental Catering

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether food and catering services in (a) his Department and (b) public bodies for which he is responsible plan to implement calorie labelling on menus and display boards.

Gregory Barker: DECC receives its catering services through a contract procured by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs) labels, which provide information on calories, fats, saturated fats, salt and sugar, are provided on foods and have been rolled out across the DEFRA catering contract, which includes DECC.
	In relation to those DECC non departmental public bodies who have catering contracts:
	the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is planning to implement the labelling of calories on menus in the new year.
	the coal authority's external catering services provider is developing menus and display boards for main courses on sale which will show calorie labelling. The menus and display boards will be available in the authority's canteen as from February 2012.

Departmental Manpower

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change How many people were working for his Department on (a) 11 May 2010 and (b) 8 December 2011.

Gregory Barker: The number of civil servants employed by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) on specific dates is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Civil servants (including senior civil servants) 
			 31 May 2010 1,018 
			 30 November 2011 1,228 
		
	
	The number shown above are quoted as full-time equivalent.

Energy: Pensioners

Laura Sandys: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners who will receive the guaranteed £120 rebate on their energy bills under the warm home discount scheme in each (a) region, (b) local authority and (c) parliamentary constituency.

Gregory Barker: More than 600,000 of the poorest pensioners will receive a core group discount of £120 on their electricity bills this winter. Regional, local authority, or constituency breakdowns for this data are not available.

Green Deal Scheme

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the Green Deal Finance Company consortium on the potential for Green Deal-backed securities to reduce the cost of Green Deal finance.

Gregory Barker: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne), and I met with representatives from the Green Deal Finance Company on 2 November 2011 to understand their proposals for providing low cost finance to Green Deal Providers. The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change also spoke by phone to a member of the consortium on 24 November 2011 following the launch of the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation consultation.

Nuclear Installations: EU Law

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he has taken to implement European Council Directive 2009/71/EURATOM of 25 June 2009 establishing a Community framework for the nuclear safety of nuclear installations; what steps he has taken in response to infringement proceedings by the European Commission against the UK for non-compliance with Directive 2009/71/EURATOM; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: The UK notified the European Commission (EC) on 19 July 2011 that we had given effect to the Council Directive 2009/71/Euratom using the existing UK regulatory regime. The EC have sought further information on two aspects of the UK's implementation—the provision of a correlation table and the implementation of the provisions in Gibraltar. A correlation table was provided on 19 July 2011 even though the directive does not require it. We are liaising with the Gibraltarian Government to ensure the necessary legislation is put in place even though there are no nuclear facilities on Gibraltar to which this directive would apply. It is expected that this work will be completed in early 2012. The UK Government will shortly be writing to the EC to confirm that a correlation table has already been provided and to inform them of progress with implementation in Gibraltar.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the cost per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions saved through the feed-in tariff system in 2010-11.

Gregory Barker: We cannot currently make this estimate, as generation date for Year 1 of the FITs scheme has not yet been collated by Ofgem.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to publish his Department's response to the comprehensive feed-in tariff review phase one.

Gregory Barker: We plan to announce the outcome of the current consultation on feed-in tariffs for solar photovoltaics towards the end of January, and by 8 February 2012 at the latest, in order to make it possible to change rates from 1 April 2012. We are aware that the industry needs certainty as soon as possible, and will strive to announce at the earliest opportunity.

Solar Power

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2011, Official Report, column 44W, on solar power: feed-in tariffs, what the evidential basis is for the estimate that 1,000 to 10,000 gross additional full-time equivalent jobs could be created in the solar sector in the three years to 2014-15.

Gregory Barker: It is difficult to accurately estimate, and forecast, numbers of jobs associated with any single technology or sector, such as solar PV. However, there are a range of methodologies that can, and are, being used to provide an indication, although these inevitably lead to a range of estimates being calculated.
	The range of 1,000 to 10,000 gross full-time equivalent jobs supported by solar PV is calculated by applying estimates of the time taken for various tasks associated with those installations from industry and independent consultants to projected installations between 2012-13 and 2014-15. They are then converted to a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis. The wide range around the estimate is largely due to the uncertainty surrounding how the energy efficiency proposals could affect future take-up of solar PV.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2011, Official Report, columns 315-6W, on renewable energy: feed-in tariffs, if he will make it his policy to ensure that all solar PV installations with a commissioning date before 12 December 2011 are eligible for the existing tariff level.

Gregory Barker: An installation becomes eligible for feed-in tariffs (FITs) from its eligibility date. The term “eligibility date” is defined in condition 33 of the standard conditions, of electricity supply licences, and is the latter of either:
	(a) the date on which the installation is commissioned; or
	(b) the date on which a valid application for FITs has been received by either Ofgem (in the case of solar photovoltaic (PV) installations with a declared net capacity of over 50kW) or a FIT licensee (in the case of solar PV installations with a declared net capacity of up to 50kW).
	Our consultation on FITs for solar photovoltaics (PV) proposes that new tariffs will be implemented from 1 April 2012 but will apply to all new PV installations with an eligibility date on or after a proposed “reference date” of 12 December 2011. For the majority of solar PV installations, the eligibility date will be the date on which a valid application is received by the FITs licensee, normally the applicant's electricity supplier.

Taxation: Nuclear Power

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has had discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential introduction of a tax on the revenue generated by nuclear power stations.

Charles Hendry: Tax is a matter for the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne). DECC Ministers have regular conversations with HM Treasury Ministers on a wide range of issues. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of such discussions.

UK Global Threat Reduction Programme

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has contributed to the UK Global Threat Reduction Programme in each of the last three financial years; on what aspects of the programme such contributions are spent; and what the programme has published in each of the last three financial years.

Charles Hendry: The UK Global Threat Reduction Programme (GTRP) forms an important element of the UK's counter-proliferation strategy. It delivers the UK contribution to the G8 Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, a $20 billion ten-year programme agreed at the G8 Summit at Kananaskis, Canada in 2002 with an initial focus on the nuclear and chemical weapons legacies of the former Soviet Union.
	The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is responsible for implementing the nuclear and radiological parts of the GTRP. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) manages the chemical and biological elements of the programme. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) holds the overall policy responsibility.
	For each of the last three financial years (2008-09; 2009-10; 2010-11) the GTRP had a ring fenced budget of £36.5 million per annum, allocated to DECC for both the DECC and MOD programmes. In 2010-11 DECC contributed an additional £9 million to GTRP, in order that the UK fully met its share of the G8 pledge to the April 2011 Chernobyl pledging conference.
	Over the course of the Global Partnership, the UK has developed a mature portfolio of programmes aimed at:
	improving the security of nuclear materials;
	dealing with the Soviet nuclear submarine legacy in North West Russia;
	the destruction of Russia's chemical weapons stocks;
	reducing the proliferation risk posed by unemployed former Soviet nuclear weapon scientists by supporting the creation of alternative sustainable employment.
	Further details of the annual expenditure breakdown across all GTRP programmes can be found in the GTRP annual reports for 2008 (published spring 2009), 2009 (published spring 2010) and 2010 (published spring 2011), copies of which were placed in the House Library and which can also be found on the DECC website:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/en_security/nonprolif/global_threat/global_threat.aspx
	In addition to these three annual reports, in late 2009, DECC published a completion report on its Nuclear Safety Programme, which closed in early 2009. In spring 2010 DECC published the findings of an independent external impact evaluation of the UK-funded “Social and Economic Consequences of Nuclear Power Plant Closure” programme, which closed in 2007. Both these reports are available online at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/en_security/nonprolif/global_threat/reports/reports.aspx

Apprentices

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of 16 to 24-year-olds likely to participate in the Youth Contract in (a) the East Midlands and (b) Leicester City.

Chris Grayling: Over the coming weeks we will be working with Work Programme providers, employers and key stakeholders to develop the detail of the recently announced Youth Contract.
	Overall the Youth Contract will provide:
	160,000 wage incentives, worth £2,275 each, available through the Work Programme;
	an extra 250,000 work experience or sector-based work academy places over the next three years, taking the total to at least 100,000 a year;
	at least 20,000 extra incentive payments worth £1,500 each for employers to take on young people as apprentices;
	extra support through Jobcentre Plus for all 18 to 24-year-olds; and
	a new £150 million programme to provide support to some of our most vulnerable 16 to 17-year-olds who are not in employment, education or training.
	No estimates for participation at local levels have yet been made.

Departmental Design

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on design in respect of (a) logos, (b) buildings, (c) advertising, (d) stationery and (e) campaigns in the last year for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: DWP spent £1,614,326 in 2010-11 on design, editorial and branding with regard to publicity and marketing carried out by DWP Communications.
	In respect of buildings design, since 1998 the Department for Work and Pensions occupies the majority of its accommodation under a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) known as the PRIME Contract. Under the terms of this PFI the Department leases back fully serviced accommodation from its private sector partner Telereal Trillium. This covers the provision of a variety of building and facility management services including the Capital Expenditure projects (CAPEX) where buildings require alterations to meet changing business requirements. Telereal Trillium's estimate of design costs incurred on CAPEX projects during 2010-11 is £900,000 excluding VAT.

Departmental Public Bodies

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria (a) his Department and (b) its public bodies use when deciding whether and when to hold an internal audit; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: Internal audit services in the Department and its public bodies work to the Government Internal Audit Standards (GIAS), which are mandatory for all central Government Departments, agencies and Executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs). These are published on the HM Treasury website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/internalaudit_gias_0211.pdf
	This framework applies to in-house internal audit services, shared services and to outsourced arrangements, and requires that:
	the chief audit executive must establish risk-based plans to determine the priorities of the internal audit activity, consistent with the organisation's goals (Standard 2010);
	the internal audit activity's plan of engagements must be based on a documented risk assessment, undertaken at least annually. The input of senior management and the board must be considered in this process (Standard 2010.A1);
	the chief audit executive must identify and consider the expectations of senior management, the board and other stakeholders for internal audit opinions and other conclusions (Standard 2010.A2); and
	the chief audit executive should consider accepting proposed consulting engagements based on the engagement's potential to improve management of risks, add value and improve the organisation's operations. Accepted engagements must be included in the plan (Standard 2010.C1).

Departmental Public Bodies

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what risk registers are held by the public bodies for which his Department is responsible; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The risk registers held by the public bodies for which my Department is responsible are shown as follows:
	Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission
	There is an overarching risk register for each directorate within the commission.
	Health and Safety Executive
	Health and Safety Executive holds a corporate risk register which is supported by subsidiary project and directorate risk registers as appropriate.
	Independent Living Fund
	The Independent Living Fund maintains a number of risk registers:
	a strategic risk register;
	five internal directorate risk registers; and
	project risk registers.
	National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) Corporation
	National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) Corporation maintains two risk registers. The principal register supports the identification and management of all business and delivery risks within the organisation. The second register is focused on NEST Corporation's information security risks.
	Pensions o mbudsman
	The pensions ombudsman have the following risk registers:
	operational risk register; and a
	strategic risk register.
	Pension Protection Fund
	Pension Protection Fund has the following registers:
	Risk Universe;
	team risk registers;
	information risk registers;
	key process risk registers;
	topic-based risk registers;
	financial risk register;
	project risk registers; and a
	tri-partite risk register.
	Remploy Ltd
	Remploy Ltd has:
	a strategic risk framework (register);
	high level business risk frameworks; and
	individual business and departmental registers.
	The Pensions Advisory Service
	The Pensions Advisory Service has the following risk registers:
	corporate risk register;
	pensions risk register;
	service area risk registers; and
	project risk registers for major projects.
	The pensions regulator
	The Pensions Regulator has one risk register.

Employment and Support Allowance: Expenditure

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what amendment he has made of the projection made by the Office for Budget Responsibility that expenditure on employment and support allowance will be £1 billion more than previously expected by 2015-16; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The new projections made by the Office for Budget Responsibility of employment and support allowance (ESA) expenditure reflect the latest data on the number of claimants assessed as fit for work, the most up to date assumptions on the composition of the caseload and the number of new claims.

Employment and Support Allowance: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals in Peterborough constituency currently in receipt of employment and support allowance in the Work Related Activity Group with a prognosis of six months are being migrated into work; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The Department regularly publishes National Statistics which provide information on the caseloads of various different benefits to the constituency level. This information can be found by using the tabulation tool (‘Tabtool’) on the departmental website here:
	http://83.244.183.180/100pc/tabtool.html
	The Tabtool shows that as at May 2011, the latest data available, there were 1,620 people on employment and support allowance in the Peterborough parliamentary constituency and of these, 550 were in the Work Related Activity Group.
	Information on the prognosis given by the Atos Healthcare Professional following the work capability assessment is available for claims flowing onto employment and support allowance by local authority area rather than parliamentary constituency. Note that on-flow figures are not directly comparable to the caseload figures provided above.
	Between March 2010 and February 2011 (the most recent period for which data are available) there were 2,090 new claims for employment and support allowance (ESA) in the Peterborough local authority area. Of these 530 went into the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) following the initial work capability assessment. Of those claims going into the WRAG, 140 (26%) were given a prognosis of three months, 260 (49%) had a prognosis of six months and the remaining 130 (25%) were given a prognosis of 12 months or longer.
	This information is taken from administrative data held by DWP, and assessment data provided by Atos Healthcare. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	ESA claimants in the WRAG will have the opportunity to join the Work Programme, when the outcome from their work capability assessment is known. The Work Programme was launched on 10 June 2011 and is now in place nationally. This is the biggest single payment by results employment programme Great Britain has ever seen, providing personalised support to an expected 2.4 million claimants over the next seven years.
	Information on the numbers leaving ESA to move into work is not currently available. The Work Programme has only been in place for six months, and the measures of its success are long term. The Department is closely monitoring all aspects of the Work Programme, and will publish this information as soon as reliable and meaningful data are available, in accordance with guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority. Official statistics on referrals will be available from spring 2012, and on job outcomes from autumn 2012.

Employment Schemes

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to ensure Prime Contractors to the Work Programme are using the Compact with the Voluntary sector in their discussions with subcontractors from the voluntary sector; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The principles of the Compact have been taken forward through the Code of Conduct which underpins the DWP Commissioning Strategy. These principles are further embedded through the Merlin Standard which all Work Programme providers are required to achieve as a condition of their contracts. Merlin assessments will take place from spring 2012 and biannually thereafter.
	The Merlin Standard will require that all subcontractors are treated fairly in their dealings with Prime Contractors and that supply chains remain robust and healthy. Primes that do not fulfil their obligations will be subject to action for breach of contract and may lose their contracts.

Housing Benefit

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many social tenants he estimates will lose some housing benefit because they are under-occupying their home; and how many and what proportion of these he expects to be (a) pensioners and (b) disabled people.

Steve Webb: From April 2013 we intend to restrict housing benefit for working-age claimants living in the social rented sector where the claimant and the claimant's household under occupy their accommodation.
	We estimate that approximately 670,000 housing benefit claimants are likely to be affected by the introduction of size criteria in the social rented sector, and experience reductions in housing benefit as a result.
	A breakdown of the categories of working age households affected is included in the equality impact assessment of the social sector size criteria, published to accompany the Welfare Reform Bill.
	The equality impact assessment can be found at:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/eia-social-sector-housing-under-occupation-wr2011.pdf
	Notes:
	1. For housing benefit, the threshold between working-age and pension-age is determined by reference to the qualifying age for state pension credit. This is linked to planned changes in the state pension age for women.
	2. Exceptionally, a pensioner may choose to claim a working-age benefit, such as income-based jobseeker's allowance, rather than claiming pension credit. In these situations the claimant would be assessed in line with the working-age rules for housing benefit.
	3. Alternative definitions of disability would produce differing estimates of the number of disabled households affected by the social sector size criteria.

Incapacity Benefit: Aberdeen

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the results of the incapacity benefit reassessment pilots in Aberdeen and Burnley informed the recalculation of the future costs of employment and support allowance reported at the Autumn Statement by the Office for Budget Responsibility; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The first stage of incapacity benefit reassessment began in October 2010 with a trial involving 1,700 customers from the Burnley and Aberdeen benefit centres. This trial was designed to provide early indicators about customer and staff reactions to the reassessment process.
	The data from the trial influenced changes to the initial assumptions for IB reassessment used in the expenditure forecasts. The trial results suggested the fit for work rate was higher than originally assumed. Additionally, a higher proportion of claimants being moved onto ESA were placed in the support group than initially assumed. However, the trial data need to be used with caution as they may not reflect the national picture. We will continue to monitor the assumptions used in the expenditure forecasts as more data becomes available.

Older Workers: East Midlands

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of the youth contract on older employees in (a) East Midlands and (b) Leicester City.

Chris Grayling: Our existing programmes will be supporting up to 350,000 young people over the next two years, but we recognise that the current economic situation means that some young people are still finding that getting work is not easy. The Youth Contract is being introduced with the aim of getting more young people involved in meaningful jobs and training early in their working lives to ensure that they are not left behind.
	This renewed effort is not expected to be to the detriment of older workers, and we will continue to offer a full and effective package of support to help older unemployed people through a range of flexible support offered by Jobcentre Plus. For those at risk of long-term unemployment there is the Work programme, and for those interested in setting up a business there is the new enterprise allowance.

PAYE

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how his Department plans to participate in the April 2012 pilot of PAYE real time information; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: DWP has been working closely with HMRC to ensure readiness for the implementation of PAYE real time information. DWP's intention is to participate during the pilot year but will not be part of the initial pilot. HMRC have confirmed that there is sufficient employer representation for the pilot at April 2012.

Social Security Benefits: Young People

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the off-flow rate has been of 16 to 24-year-olds from benefits into work since January 2011.

Chris Grayling: About 90% of young people who made a new claim for jobseeker’s allowance in January 2011 had left the count by October, the latest month for which data is currently available. These figures cover 18 to 24-year-olds as those aged under 18 are not routinely eligible for JSA. Individuals are not required to tell Jobcentre Plus the reason they ended their claim and a significant minority of exits are to unknown destinations. This means that, although many of those whose destination is not known are likely to have taken up work, it is not possible to calculate an off-flow rate into work.

Work Capability Assessment: Mental Illness

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to publish the reports by the Mental Health and Fluctuating Conditions groups on the work capability assessment; and when any such publication will occur.

Chris Grayling: We currently have no plans to formally publish the reports submitted by Professor Harrington to us on the mental, intellectual and cognitive descriptors and the fluctuating conditions descriptors.
	Professor Harrington's second independent review of the work capability assessment was published on 24 November. This contains a précis of the two reports’ recommendations as well as an update on the current position regarding their consideration.
	A copy of the mental, intellectual and cognitive descriptors report is available in the House Library. A copy of the fluctuating conditions descriptors report will be made available in the House Library once the Department have had a chance to consider it in detail and have provided feedback to Professor Harrington and those involved in the production of it.

Young People: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for the Youth Contract in the Peterborough constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The Youth Contract will provide more intensive support for all 18 to 24-year-olds including additional adviser time and weekly signing requirements. It will make available extra work experience and sector-based work academy places, including an offer of a work experience place for every unemployed 18 to 24-year-old who wants one, before they enter the Work Programme. Work experience is delivered through local mechanisms based on demand and need. It forms just part of a range of flexible measures which the Jobcentre Plus district manager can put in place to address the specific needs and requirements of unemployed young people in Peterborough.
	A new wage incentive scheme, delivered through the Work Programme, will make it easier for employers to take on young people aged 18 to 24. We are talking to providers and employers about the best way of delivering this new scheme and will make further information available to employers and others over the coming weeks as the design detail progresses.
	Extra funding will also be made available for the Department for Education to support the most vulnerable NEET 16 and 17-year-olds into learning, an apprenticeship or job with training.

Departmental Audit

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what criteria (a) his Department and (b) its public bodies use when deciding whether and when to hold an internal audit; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) applies a risk based approach to planning its internal audit assignments. The annual audit plan is developed through a combination of a review of the Departments high level risk registers and discussions with senior management and the audit committee. The audit plan is flexible to address the evolution of the risk environment and the emergence of new risks.

Departmental Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of written questions for answer on a named day received a substantive answer within five working days in each of the last six months.

Andrew Mitchell: The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis and will provide full information to the Committee at the end of the Session. Statistics relating to Government Departments’ performance for the 2009-10 parliamentary Session were previously provided to the committee and are available on the Parliament website.
	Between 1 June and 30 November 2011 the Department for International Development received 170 written questions for a named day. The number of written questions for a named day that were not answered within five working days, according to the month that the question was tabled, is as follows:
	
		
			 Month (2011) Named day questions answered after five working days 
			 June 0 
			 July 1 
			 August 0 
			 September 0 
			 October 12 
			 November 4

Developing Countries: Climate Change

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) meetings, (b) discussions and (c) correspondence he has had with the (i) Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, (ii) Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and (iii) Prime Minister on formulating the UK's negotiating position for the Durban Climate Change Conference.

Andrew Mitchell: The UK negotiating position for the 17(th) Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Durban was agreed by the European Affairs Committee, in which I actively participate.
	I regularly discuss issues concerning UK policy on climate change with Cabinet colleagues, including the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne), the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman) and the Prime Minister.

Developing Countries: Population

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will consider the importance of population stabilisation for sustainable development in his preparations for the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development.

Andrew Mitchell: The UK supports the focus of the two themes of Rio+20: (a) green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication; and (b) institutional frameworks for sustainable development. DEFRA are the Whitehall lead on Rio+20. DFID is working with DEFRA and other Government Departments to develop the UK position for the conference. In doing so, a range of sectoral and cross-cutting issues are being considered including the empowerment of women and girls.

Developing Countries: Water

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he plans to attend the Sanitation and Water for All High Level Meeting on 20 April 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) strongly supports the work of the Sanitation and Water for All partnership to increase accountability of both developing countries and donors for delivering results on the ground.
	It will be important to have a strong UK presence at the next meeting and I intend to be there.

Developing Countries: Water

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will attend the High Level Meeting of the Sanitation and Water for All Partnership in Washington on 20 April 2012; what steps his Department is taking to improve access to sanitation and water in developing countries; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: The Department for International Development (DFID) strongly supports the work of the Sanitation and Water for All partnership to increase accountability of both developing countries and donors for delivering results on the ground.
	DFID recognise that it will be important to have a strong UK presence at the next High-level Meeting in April 2012 and I intend to be there.
	The UK Government have committed to a series of challenging targets concerning water and sanitation. These include making sure 15 million more people have access to clean drinking water, 25 million more people have access to improved sanitation facilities and 15 million more people are reached by hygiene promotion.

Kenya: Asylum

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support the Government is providing to the government of Kenya to ensure that it (a) restarts registration of those Somalis fleeing conflict and seeking refugee status in Kenya and (b) fulfils its other obligations under international refugee law.

Andrew Mitchell: My Department does not directly fund the Kenyan Government's Department for Refugee Affairs (DRA) which is responsible for registration of refugees, but DRA does receive support through UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency, which the UK does fund) and other donors. I am very concerned about the suspension of registration of new refugees. Registration is important for the protection of refugees as well as in Kenya's own security interests.
	I have regularly pressed the Kenyan Government on the rights of refugees, including after my visit to the Dadaab refugee camp in July. When I last met Minister Saitoti, Kenyan Minister for Provincial Administration and Internal Security, on 21 November, I again acknowledged Kenya's generosity in hosting refugees, but also raised the importance of not forcibly repatriating refugees. The Prime Minister has also made the same points in a letter to President Kibaki. My officials are following up with the Kenyan Government on the need to restart registration.

Bangladesh: Asylum

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the treatment of Rohingyan refugees in Bangladesh; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The UK has raised concerns on this matter with the Government of Bangladesh bilaterally and with EU partners. The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), raised concerns about the treatment of ethnic minorities with the President of Burma and senior officials during his visit to the country on 15-17 November.
	Officials from, our high commission in Dhaka have visited the camps for displaced Rohingyas. The Department for International Development provides core contributions to the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department and UN agencies that directly support the Rohingya community.

Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on UK accession to the 2001 UNESCO Convention on Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage; and if he will make a statement.

Henry Bellingham: The British Government have adopted the Annex of the Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage as best practice for marine archaeology but we do not believe that the case for ratification to the convention by the UK has been made. This position will continue to be kept under review.

Departmental Responsibilities

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure social value is included when services are commissioned by (a) his Department and (b) its public bodies; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: The information is as follows:
	(a) The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has published a Sustainable Procurement Strategy:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/procurement/Sus_Proc_Strategy
	which details how Procurement will deliver value for money in its contracting for goods and services while also delivering benefit in sustainable terms, in the categories of environmental, economic and social and across supply chains. The FCO has published an SME Action Plan:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/working-for-us/contracts-procurement/sme
	which will support SMEs by implementing promotion of procurement opportunities and removing any barriers to the use of SMEs in the UK.
	(b) FCO Services, a trading fund of the FCO addresses social value in procurement through sustainability. This is illustrated in the procurement of zero emission electric vehicles and fuel efficient HGV trailer units for the European Lorry Fleet. FCO Services also works with its logistics supplier to monitor and manage carbon emissions. More broadly in respect of procurement of materials and services it applies standard pan government contract terms, which reflect sustainability and equal opportunities/anti-discrimination requirements.
	Wilton Park uses the FCO Sustainable Procurement Strategy mentioned above and are also currently developing a strategy to offer contracts to SME's which will be based on the FCO's.

Departmental Secondment

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what secondments there have been to his Department from (a) industry and (b) the third sector since May 2010; what the (i) purpose and (ii) duration is of each secondment; and whether each secondment was to a policy development role.

Henry Bellingham: A small number of staff have been seconded to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from both industry and the third sector since May 2010. The majority of these loans have been ad hoc. short term arrangements and we do not hold a central record of these informal secondments. A further seven staff from industry and the third sector have undertaken formal, longer term inward secondments to the FCO. We are however unable to provide more detail as this could identify individual staff, and potentially breach data protection principles.

Departmental Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what proportion of questions for ordinary written answer received a substantive response within (a) 10, (b) 20, (c) 30 and (d) more than 30 sitting days in the 2010-12 session to date.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office received 2,877 questions for ordinary written answer in this Session, tabled up to 31 October 2011. A total of 2,724 (94.7%) of these questions were answered within 10 sitting days; 126 (4.4%) within 11 to 20 sitting days; 23 (0.8%) within 21 to 30 sitting days; and 4 (0.1%) in more than 30 sitting days.
	The Government have committed to providing the Procedure Committee with information relating to written parliamentary question performance on a sessional basis and will provide this information to the Committee at the end of the Session. Statistics relating to Government Department's performance for the 2009-10 parliamentary Session were previously provided to the committee and are available on the Parliament website.

Egypt: Exports

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on any cases of internal repression in Egypt; if he will impose an embargo on the export of all equipment subject to the UK Export licence regime to Egypt; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr. Hague), has made clear UK concerns about incidents of unrest and violence in Egypt in recent months. In his statement of 23 November he said that he was deeply concerned by the unacceptable violence that had taken place around Tahrir Square and other parts of Egypt, and called on the Egyptian authorities to respect the right of peaceful protest and immediately to cease the use of violence against protestors.
	We are aware of reports that UK manufactured teargas has been used in Egypt. No licences for the export of tear gas to Egypt have been granted since 1999. Since that time UK export controls have been radically overhauled including through the passing of the Export Control Act 2002 and the adoption of the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. Under the consolidated criteria we will not issue licences for goods which will be used for internal repression or for aggravating existing tensions or conflicts. Export licence applications for Egypt, as for all countries, are kept under constant review and every licence is scrutinised in light of changing facts on the ground. We have no plans to impose an embargo on Egypt for all equipment subject to UK export controls.

Falkland Islands: Sovereignty

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made representations to the government of Argentina in response to its (a) recent reassertion of that country's claim to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and (b) interference with fishing vessels in the seas surrounding the Falkland Islands.

Jeremy Browne: The UK Government have no doubt about their sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, there can be no negotiations on sovereignty unless or until the Falkland Islanders so wish. The fundamental principle and right of self determination, as set out in the United Nations Charter and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, underlies this position. We have made this position clear both directly to the Argentine Government and at international forums.
	The UK Government have repeatedly protested against Argentine Presidential Decree 256, which has purportedly been the basis for recent interference with fishing vessels in the vicinity of the River Plate basin. We have repeated this protest on several occasions bilaterally, publicly and in letters circulated at the United Nations General Assembly. We do not consider the decree to be compliant with international law, including the right of innocent passage through territorial seas under the United Nations convention on the law of the sea. There has been no interference with fishing vessels in Falkland Islands waters.

Occupied Territories: Housing

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Israeli Government about the expansion of Israeli settlements.

Alistair Burt: We regularly make clear that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories are wrong, illegal under international law and deeply counter-productive to efforts to bring a lasting peace to the middle east conflict.
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), I and our ambassador in Tel Aviv have all raised the issue of settlements with the Israeli authorities. The Foreign Secretary most recently condemned settlement activity publicly in his statements of 2, 9 and 28 November.

Oil: Canada

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Canadian counterpart on the environmental consequences of developing the Alberta tar sands.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has not discussed the development of the Alberta oil sands with his Canadian counterpart.
	We regularly raise our concerns over the environmental impact of oil sands extraction with the Canadian authorities, most recently in discussion between the Minister of State, my noble Friend Lord Howell of Guildford, and the Canadian high commissioner on 20 September.
	The Prime Minister discussed the European fuel quality directive in relation to Canadian oil sands with the Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, during his visit to Ottawa in September.

Palestinians: Politics and Government

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) his international counterparts and (b) representatives of international organisations about the situation in Gaza.

Alistair Burt: We are currently working closely with the Quartet, the UN and EU partners to raise more strongly the situation of Gaza with the Israeli authorities. We continue to call on Israel to ease restrictions on access including access to humanitarian and medical supplies.
	Our ambassador in Tel Aviv raises these concerns regularly with Israeli authorities. It was also formally raised by the UK at the annual Ad Hoc Liaison Committee meeting of donors in New York on 18 September both in the plenary session and in bilateral meetings with the Israeli delegation in the margins of the main event.
	As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), reiterated to the House on 28 November 2011, Official Report, column 691:
	“We look to Israel to permit the further opening of Gaza so that all Palestinian people can see a pathway to a better future, living side by side with a secure Israel. It is vital that Israel takes that action.”

Shaker Aamer

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the oral answer of 25 October 2011, Official Report, column 172, on Shaker Aamer, when his case was last raised at ministerial level; and what progress has been made on returning Shaker Aamer to the UK.

Alistair Burt: Shaker Aamer's case was raised formally most recently at ministerial level by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, during President Obama's state visit to the UK in May this year. The Government remain committed to securing Mr Aamer's release and return to the UK and, as previously stated, we wilt continue to raise his case with the United States Government at both official and ministerial levels. His release remains a decision for the United States Government to make, but our own determination and our efforts to return Mr Aamer to the United Kingdom will certainly continue.

Biometrics: Entry Clearances

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when (a) she and (b) the Immigration Minister were first informed that their pilot programme was being used to stop biometric checks.

Damian Green: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), on 7 November 2011, Official Report, columns 44-61.

Dangerous Dogs Act 1991

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been prosecuted under section (a) 1(3), (b) 3(1) and (c) 3(3) of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 in each year since 2007.

James Paice: I have been asked to reply.
	I will arrange for a table showing the number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts, under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, Sections 1(3), 3(1) and 3(3), in England and Wales, from 2007 to 2010 (latest available) to be placed in the Library of the House.
	Annual court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in the spring of 2012.

Fraud: Shares

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking to ensure that the Serious Fraud Office pursues investigations into boiler room fraud.

Edward Garnier: I have been asked to reply.
	The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is headed by the Director who acts under the superintendence of the Attorney-General. The SFO investigates and prosecutes the most serious and complex economic crime.
	Where an alleged boiler room fraud that comes to the attention of the SFO meets the published selection criteria the SFO will consider the allegations. The selection criteria itself can be found on the SFO website at:
	http://www.sfo.gov.uk/victims/individual-victims/can-i-report-a-fraud-or-corruption-directly-to-the-sfo.aspx
	If an alleged boiler room fraud does not meet the SFO criteria it will be referred to another law enforcement organisation or regulator for investigation when appropriate.
	Since October 2011 the SFO has successfully prosecuted 10 individuals involved in boiler room fraud.